Adjustable printing die



J. W. OGFJEE fl ADJUSTABLE PRINTING DIE Filed Nov. 24, 1936 A TTORNEY 5Q30 7 E Z; w M jw 4 (rand-4H1 ems-:-

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Patented Nov. 7, 1939 7 2,179,268 ADJUSTABLE ram'rme ma Jacob W. Ogden,Springdale, Conn.. asslgnor to Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter 00., Stamford,Conn, a. co poration of Delaware Application November 24, 1936, SerialNo. 112,465

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for use in printing a date andpostmark with a combined indicia stamp impression upon mail matter bymeans of a metered mailing machine and it more particularly relates to adate and postmarking die which may be adjusted to omit the printing ofeither the date, or the postmark and date.

Among the postal regulations are rules which include the requirementsfor the used the date and postmark with regard to the several differentclasses of mail. For example, the requirement l'or first class mail is,that both the date and postmark be imprinted upon the mail matter; onthird class mail it is required that the date be omitted; and onregistered mail it is required that both the postmark and the date beomitted.

In the device of the present invention, means is provided whereby anoperator may quickly adjust the deter die and postmark die by means of akey or the like, to move only the dater die or both the postmark anddater dies to a printing or a non-printing position.

One object of the invention therefore, is to provide means whereby adater die and postmark die may be arranged in independently adjustablepositions within a printing member.

Another object is to provide means whereby the dater and postmark diesare adapted to be posi- 'tively moved either individually or together toa printing position by means of a key or the like,

which is adapted to be manipulated from a position outside of theprinting member.

lit is also an object to provide an adjustable dater and postmark die,wherein the postmark r die is adjustable within an indicia printing die1 and wherein the dater die is adjustable within the postmark die.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangeihent of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that various changes in theprecise embodimerit of the invention herein disclosed may be ade withinthe scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a printing drum within a drumcasing, including an indicia stamp printing die also the postmark anddater dies;

Fig. 2. is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,showing both the postmark die and dater die in a printing position withrelation to the indicia die;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken sub stantially on the line 33of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 3 with the postmarkdie in a printing position but with the dater die adjusted to anon-printing position below the surface of the postmark die;

} Fig. 5.is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing theposition of the parts in agreement with the position indicated in Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figs. 3 and 4, butshowing both the postmark and dater dies in a non-printing positionbelow the surface of the indicia printing die;

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view looking in the direction of the arrow1 of Fig. 1, showing the position of the key slot with a cap coveringsame, also an indicator plate with markings thereon to indicate thevariouspositions of adjustment;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detailed perspective view showing a part of thepostmark and dater die controlling cam member, also the key which isused to rotate said cam member;

Fig. 9 is a face view of a stamp impression which is adapted to be madewhen the'parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3; r

- Fig. 10 is a fragmentary portion of the stamp impression shown in Fig.9 showing the impression of the postmark as received when the parts arein the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and,

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing anv impression as receivedwhen the parts are in the position shown in the position of Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing a printing drum to is'rotatablymounted within a casing It, said drum being adapted to be' driventhrough one revolution upon each cycle of printing operation to cause animpression to be made upon pieces of mail matter when the latter aremoved between the printing dr and an impression roll, (not shown).

The printing surface of said printing drum includes an indicia printingdie ll which is engraved on a plate it, said plate being secured to theprinting drum by means of screws 2t. Forming a part of the indicia dieis the usual configuration of a border and design, also a section asindicated at 2| wherein the value printing type wheels 22 are exposed ina printing position, and further includes a postmark and dater printingsection as indicated generally at 23.

Included in said latter section is a sleeve 24, which is slidablymounted within the die plate I8 and within the drum l5, and has on itsupper surface an engraved type section for the printing of the postmark.

A dater type wheel assembly is provided, which comprises a number ofwheels 25, each being rotatably mounted upon a shaft 26, which shaft isrigidly supported upon pins 21 carried by a yoke 28. Said yoke 28 isslidably mounted within the printing drum and is further arranged topermit the dater wheels to move therewith within a hollow interiorportion 29 of the sleeve 24.

A cam member is provided which is adapted to move the postmark and daterdies from a nonprinting to a printing position when rotated and isfurther adapted to provide stops to limit the positions of the postmarkand dater dies in their several adjusted positions. Said cam memberpreferably comprisrs a cam portion 3| of substantially rectangularcross-section and forms a part of a rotatable structure which hasjournals 32 and 3|] rotatably mounted within a bore 33 in the printingdrum I5. A slot 34 is provided within one end of said head as best shownin Fig. 8, which is adapted to have engaged therewith, one end of a key35. By means of said key the cam member is adapted to be rotated.Detents 36 are also provided in the journal 32 which are adapted to beengaged by yieldable balls 31, positioned within the printing drum iiito retain the cam member in a fixed adjusted position.

The cam portion 3| of said cam member has one surface 38 upon which thelower end of the yoke 28 will rest when the parts are in the positionshown in Fig. 5 and a similar surface 38 upon which both the yoke 28 andsleeve 24 will be adapted to rest when in the position of Fig. 6. Alsoforming a part of said cam.member are two end portions 40-40 upon eitherone of which the yoke member 28 will rest when the parts are in theposition shown in Fig. 3; At each end of the surface 38 are projectinglugs 4|-4| which also form a part of the cam structure and are adaptedto be engaged by the lower end of the sleeve 24 when the parts are inthe position shown in Fig. 5.

Whenthe cam member 3| is moved to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3,with one end 40 in engagement with the sleeve 24 and the yoke 28, theprinting surfaces of each of the die portions of the postmarking and thedater wheels are positioned in exact alignment with the indicia printingdie surface I? to thus provide for the printing of the postmark and dateduring a printing operation. When in this position a pointer 42, whichforms a part of the key 35, will be pointed in one of the two directionsindicated as the 1st or 4th class positions on an indicator plate 41shown in Fig. '7, there being two positions indicated for the 1st and4th class mail.

Upon rotation of the cam member through 90 degrees in acounter-clockwise direction from the position of Figs. 2 and 3, thesurface 39 thereof will be uppermost as shown in Fig. 6,- or in positionto permit both the postmark and dater dies to be moved below theprinting surface.

It will be noted that the camming action of the member 3| functions tomove the postmark and dater dies to the printing position of Figs. 2 and3 when one of the end portions 40 engages the yoke 28 and sleeve 24. Apositive camming action therefore results when the member 3| is rotatedto the positions in which the key pointer 42 registers with the 1st and4th class mail points or when the high points of the cam,

the ends 40-40, are moved to an actuating position.

When the key 35 is moved to the 3rd class mail position or the positionwherein the parts are to be positioned as in Fig. 4, it is necessary tomanually depress the dater die inward to a non-printing position. Thepostmark die will remain in a printing position due to the engagement ofthe lugs 4|4| with the lower surface thereof as shown in Fig. 5.

When the key 36 is moved to the registered mail position, or theposition wherein the parts are to be positioned as in Fig. 6, both thedater and postmark dies are manually depressed inward to a non-printingposition.

By means of a spring pressed ball structure 43, which is adapted toengage with one of two detents 44-44, the sleeve 24 is maintained in anadjusted position, and in a like manner (not shown) the yoke 28 may alsobe maintained in an adjusted position.

When an adjustment of the position of the postmark or dater is to bemade, the operator will insert the key 35 within openings 45, 46 in theindicator plate 4! and casing l6 respectively to engage the end thereofwith the slot 34 in the head of the cam member 3|, then rotate sameuntil the pointer 42 thereon is opposite the desired position on theindicator plate. It will be noted that the key can only be inserted inone position due to the provision of a projection 48 on the key whichengages with a mating slot 49 inthe head 32.

After adjusting the key to the desired position, the position of thepostmark and dater dies are checked and if it is desired to print .astamp impression on 3rd class the dater die is pressed below theprinting surface. If it is desired to print a stamp impression onregistered mail, both the postmark and dater dies are depressed belowthe printing surface.

By means of this arrangement, a quick adjustment can be made and it isobvious that considerable time is saved over the method of removing andinserting the desired type sections.

Having described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In combination with a printing member having a relatively stationaryindicia die printing surface; a sleeve having a postmark printing diesurface and slidably positioned within said indicia die, dater typewheels, and a support for said type wheels slidably positioned withinsaid sleeve.

2. In combination with a printing member having a relatively stationaryindicia die printing surface; a sleeve having a postmark printing diesurface and slidably positioned within said indicia die, dater typewheels, a support for said type wheels slidably positioned within saidsleeve, and selective means adapted to control the adjustment of saidsleeve and dater type wheels to permit their movement to a plurality ofdifferent positions.

3. In combination with a printing member having a relatively stationaryindicia die printing surface; a manually adjustable printing dieslidably mounted within the indicia die and movable to a printing or anon-printing position, and a second adjustable printing die slidablymounted within the first named adjustable printing die, wherebyimpressions may be made which include the indicia with or without theprinted portion resulting from one or both adjustable dies. g

4.111 combination with a printing member having a relatively stationaryindicia die printing surface; a manually adjustable printing dieslidably mounted within the indicia die and movable to a printing or anon-printing position, a second adjustable printing die slidably mountedwithin the first named adjustable printing die,

and a manipulative member to control the positions of said adjustablemembers, whereby impressions may be taken which include the indicia withor without the printed portion resulting from the one or both adjustabledies.

5. In a device of the character described, an indicia printing member, apostmark die adjustable relative to said indicia printing member to aprinting or non-printing position, and a dater die positioned within thepostmark die and adjustable to a printing or a non-printing positionrelative to said postmark die.

6. In a device of the character described, an indicia printing member, apostmark die member adjustable relative to said indicia printing memberto a printing or non-printing position, a dater die member positionedwithin the postmark die and adjustable relative to said postmark diemember, and a selector having a cam portion arranged to contact thepostmark die member and dater die member, said cam portion including aplurality of elevations arranged to support the combined postmark anddater die members in any one of a plurality of printing positions.

7. In a device of the character described including an indicia printingmember, a postmark die member adjustable relative to said indiciaprinting member to a printing or non-printing position, and a dater diemember positioned within the postmark die and adjustable to a printingor a non-printing position relative to said postmark die member, arotatable cam member positioned below the postmark and dater die membersto provide a seat therefor, manipulative means engageable with said cammember to rotate same, and an indicator member having a plurality ofpositions indicated thereon, whereby upon rotation of said cam member,the manipulative means upon movement past the several indications on theindicator member will cause a different printing arrangement of thepostmark and dater members to be had according to the indicationsrepresented.

JACOB W. OGDEN.

